Do you drink before 11am? No? Me neither. But did you know that there used to be an entire subsection of cocktails devoted to morning drinking? Drinks designed to get you up and going? Indeed — and an excellent expression of these morning cocktails is the tart, sweet, summery sipper the Corpse Reviver #2.
This cocktail has come up before at The Kitchn, when Nora mentioned in it her post on top 5 intriguing cocktail names. A corpse reviver was designed to revive the corpse of a hungover citizen, to wake him up and give him some energy for the morning. This style of cocktail achieved some notoriety through The Savoy Cocktail Book's mention of them: "To be taken before 11 a.m., or whenever steam and energy are needed."
I don't know about you, but I drink coffee for steam and energy. But if you say a cocktail can do the same — well sure, twist my arm. I find though, sadly, that I get a bit dopey after this cocktail (like all others) — the alcohol has its usual slowing effects. It takes just one, not four, to reach the state of Harry Craddock's warning, "Four of these taken in swift succession will unrevive the corpse again." So I'll stick to coffee for waking up in the morning, but in the late afternoons, this is my current cocktail of choice.
Why? It's such a simple cocktail, just right for those stunned post-work evenings. Very few measurements to remember: Just mix sweet digestivo wine (like Lillet, or my current favorite, Cocchi Americano — watch for more on that soon) with dry gin, aromatic orange liqueur, and bright lemon juice. Add a dash of absinthe or Pernod for depth and pep and shake it all up. It's a dead easy (sorry for the pun) cocktail, and one that's simple to mix up pitcher style then shake off one by one for a crowd. It's tangy, floral, sweet, balanced — the ultimate grown-up lemonade.
• Read more about Corpse Reviver-style cocktails: Spirits: Corpse revivers, the original energy drink by Jason Wilson at The Washington Post
The Corpse Reviver #2, Americano Cocchi-Style
makes one drink3/4 ounce Americano Cocchi (or Lillet Blanc)
3/4 ounce Cointreau (or triple sec)
3/4 ounce dry gin
3/4 ounce lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon Pernod (or absinthe)
Combine all ingredients in shaker full of ice. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds then strain into coupe. Drink immediately.
Related: The Perfect Lunchtime Cocktail Recipe: The Suppressor #2
(Images: Faith Durand)
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No surprise here...Mimosas, Bloody Mary and this to name a few. I actually made my favorite margarita for my blog a few weeks ago and did it in the morning. I hated to pitch it and my perfect reasoning for drinking it? Well, it did have juice in it right?
I've actually served these at Halloween parties; looking for a different kind of corpse revival!
hahaha this post is so very 'Jeeves and Wooster'
love it
I just had one (actually two) of these on my last trip to Manhattan at the Rum House in Times Square and the Corpse Reviver 2 is A M A Z I N G. The Rum House was itself surprisingly nice and not kitchy at all. The bar manager there was the bar guy at Colicchio's Craft and does amazing work with cocktails.
I just had one of these at a new bar near my house in San Francisco - The Rock Bar! It was so yummy, but I actually had to give it to my husband 3/4 of the way through it. Yummy but potent!! A bad combo for a mom of 2 small kids who doesn't get out much. Thanks for the recipe!
Where can I find glasses like the one in this photo? My fav shape and I've been on the lookout for years!
@BetsyGINDC - I bought those at Anthropologie a couple years ago. They aren't on their website anymore, but they may still be in stores. When looking for this kind of glass, search for "coupe" or "champagne saucer."